Vibrator



Sept. 1, 1936. R. HETHERINGTON VIBRATOR Filed NOV. 28, 1933 Patented Sept. l, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE'- Robert Hetherington, Sh

aron Hill, Pa., assignor to Devices, Inc., a corporation of Pennsylvaniav Application November 28, 1933, Serial No. 700,109

1sA claims. (c1. 12s- 51) My invention'relates to a vibrator for use in stimulating and exercising facial or other muscles or flesh, for example, to reduce superfluous fat or excess Weight. It has a special effectiveness 5 as a hand-applied massage implement` for treating the face and neck.

v The main purpose of my invention is to resiliently and intermittently whip a vibrating belt or band in the shape of a free loop which can l0' be applied to hollow as well as to fleshy portions of the face or iigure.

A,further purpose is to anchor one end of a lil-shaped loop and whip the loop to produce loop ,swellings and contractions as vibrations.

1'5' A further purpose is to preliminarily outline the contour of the loop as applied by the relative firmness or stiffness of the parts of a belt or band or of parts of a belt or band which is whipped in loop form, and to taper oif the firmness or stiffness, where desired, in altering the contour of the bend thus accentuated at the more flexible part of the belt or band.

` A further purpose is to provide a loop belt or A band with an interior support forming a limit to the ultimate collapse of the loop, using a rm support or a highly resilient support according to the effect desired.

A further purpose is to assist in the control of the contour of a treating loop by guides for the end of the loop which is whipped, and to provide a selection of guides to produce different loop contours.

, A. further purpose is to provide a hand-supi portedmotor-operated vibrator having a laterally extending resilient loop depending for its effect, forcerand contour upon the relative stiffness or body of the loop material.

Further purposes will appear in the specification and in the claims.

40 I have preferred to illustrate my invention by one general form only, with several modifications, among the many forms and modifications in which it might appear, selecting a form which has been proved to be practical, effective and well suited to the needs of service, but which has been selected primarily because of its excellence in illustration ofthe principles involved.

My invention relates not only to the methods g or processes involved,vbut to mechanism by which the method or processes may be carried out.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a structure embodying my invention. Y

Figurela is a fragmentary section corresponding' toFi'gure l and showing a, different form of interior pad.

Figures 2 and 3 are sectional top plan views of the structure of Figure 1, taken upon line v2--2, but showing parts in diierent positions assumedr during operation. I

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of Figure 2 upon line 4 4 thereof..

Figure 5 is a section corresponding in position to Figure 4,'but showing a modied form. y

Figure 5a is a fragmentary view, similar to Figure 5 but showing a modification.

Figure 5b is a fragmentary section similarto Figures 5 and 5a, but showing a modiiica'tion.`

Figure 6 is a section of Figure 5 taken upon line 6 6.

Figures 7, 8, 9, and l0 are fragmentary sections corresponding generally to the position of Figure 4', but showing modifications. l

Figure l1 is a top plan view of a modied form of crank. Y*

In the drawing similar numerals indicate like parts. Y

The vibratorzdepends primarily upon the factv that a loop of general :U character and of longitudinally stiiT laterally flexible material can be whipped lengthwise or nearly lengthwise of one of the U terminals and that the contour of the loop can be changed not only by the direction and extent of the throw given by reciprocatory vibration of the end, but by variation in the stiffness or in the comparative stiffness and rigidity (as compared with the flexibility) and in the tendency' to recover shape and speed of re` covery after deformation of the belt or band material of which the loop is formed. Y Y

I whip one end of the loop using a portion of its continuously outwardly convex surface at a part intermediate the loop ends, as a massage surface, vibrating in the plane of the loop, alternately swelling and contracting the said surface generally laterally of the surface, each swelling being effected by the longitudinal. compressive stresses in the loop material and from the whipping movement.

The motor mechanism and the casing and handle support therefor may, of. course, be widely varied. -As illustrated, I have shown aconvenient handle l5 upon which is mounted a motor I6 and casing l1. The armature shaft IB passes through a bearing support I9 separable from; the casing for assemblage purposes andv fastened to the-casing in any suitable mannerasjby screws 20. Upon the end of the motor shaft is mounted acrank 22 whose crank pin 23 reciprocates a belt,'strap or band 24 lengthwiseand laterally of the belt through engagement of the pin 23 vwith the grommeted Walls of an opening. The pin is shown as a screw passing through the grommet. A loop is formed out of the belt 26 which belt passes laterally across the crank 22, is reversely turned at an intermediate point to form a loop and is anchored or fixed at the opposite end at some such point as 21. Because the loop is a return loop it is referred to as of general U shape.

Within the loop and as an ultimate limit of the contraction, collapse or compression of the loop in a direction generally across the armature' shaft I8, I place a pad 28 which is capable of use for a variety of purposes.

to the bearing support |9. 'I'he vsize and outer contour of the pad guides and to some extent may be made to determine the general outer contour of the loop and forms an inner limit to the col- 2' limit of movement in the direction of the thickness of the belt may be restricted by a shield 3| which is' shown as part of a removable cap-32 about the inner operating parts. This cap directly joins casing in Figure 1, but forms a third snap-attached cap shell, in Figures 5 and 6.

The belt 26 is fastened at its outer end 29 to the frame structure -of the casing in Figure 5.- In Fig-ure- 5b, however, the belt is fastened at 29' to the pad 28 which in turn may fasten directly to the frame structure of the casing.

Whether the cap be separable from the rest ofV the mechanism or not it may carry guides to assist in determining the contour of the loop as it is thrown or Whipped. Several different guides 5 appear in Figuresl 1 and 5 at 3| and 33. It will be seen that the direction of initial throw of the belt at the point at which it leaves the guide, as well as the direction-along which reciprocation takes place, will affect the .point in the contour of the U at which the greatest tendency to. curve takes place and will, therefore, affect not only the point of maximum curvature but the average radius of curvature at that point.

In addition to control of the point of curva-l ture and contour of the curve formed by the U in operation by the shape of the pad and the` guidance of the belt a far more effective means of contour control lies in altering the comparative thickness or stiffness of tendency to and speed-of return to normal shape after. deformation of the end or ends as compared with the bend of the U of the belt itself. This may be done by impregnation of one or both ends of the belt as at 34 and 35, in Figure 10, or by an extra ply of material throughoutpart` of the length of the belt at either end, or at both ends, as shown at 36', ,Figure l, and at v36 and 35, Figure 5a, or by graduating the thickness or stiffness of the belt, of-Whch I show. one form affecting both ends of the-belt at 38 and 39 in Figures '7, 8, and 9. Here the thicknesses 38 and 39 are greater than the normalbelt thickness, but the change of thick.- ness is gradual, tapering at 40 and thus Atending to give a contour of transition curvature having itsshortest radius at a point determined by the It is used in connection' with fastenings 29 to hold the end 30 of the belt.

two factors of (l) the tendency of the belt to bend at or near that point inV normal operation even if there were no difference in thickness or stiffness and (2) the tendency of the belt to bend more freely at the thinnest point or the point which is most flexible for any other reason. The impregnating effect can also be tapered to produce the same effect.

'Ihe guide shown at 3| inv Figure 1 is chiefly a cover but may be used to prevent undue outward extension of the belt. The guides in 'Figures 5 and 6 are intended to control the position of the belt at a considerably greater distance from the crank. Both may be used to limit vibration of the belt Within the guide in a direction perpendicular'to thebeltrsurface and one of them gives slightly different direction of movement to the belt a-s it passes out from and back into the mouth of the guide. The crank gives an harmonic movement to the end of the belt, both laterally and longitudinally, and the guidesmustnot be permitted to unduly restrict this lateral movement.

The belt is so short that some of the lateral movement is communicated to the loop.

When it is desired to produce a larger -or smaller loop at the free end of the belt, I usev the crankshownin Figure 1,1. In the use of this crank I am able to vary the loop extension by securing the pin in the end of the belt nearest the crank in any one of the apertures 4|, v42., 43, and:

The effect of engagement by the belt with the pad at the inner limit of movement of the belt will vary somewhat according to whetherthe pad offers a rm and relatively-hard limitingr surface, such as would be secured byvvoodor, and better,v by bakelite, for example, causing a quick belt vrebound, or whether the pad be itself more resilient as with rubber (preferably sponge rubber) or' other material, such as is shown. in Figure la, damping` the belt vibration.

It will be evident that I have provided a vibra.- tor having not only'great resilience of engagement with the surface treated but capable of use to give a greatv variety of contours of belt engagement by substitution of different belts within the same implement or by theuse of caps carrying different guides, pad substitution, etc., and that the width of Vthe loop across the belt may also be Varied by use of a wide or narrow belt i-n the same implement as may be most suitable, when it is desired to treat large or small surfaces of the body.

It will be evident that the flexibility of the beltA as well as the direction of throw of the belt and the resulting contour are wholly within the control of the designer, or, with kthe use of substitute parts, within the control of the operator without losing the adjustability of the. strength of vibration given by the amount of pressure of the loop against the surface treated.

In Figure 10 I have shown a cellophane or other suitable sanitary covering material for the belt 26. This covering material may be applied to the belt at the discretion of the operator in order to keep the belt clean and in order that the person being treated may have an individual cleansing cover when the vibrator is applied to a portion of the body. The sanitary cover may be'attached to the belt by snap clips '46 and 41. l

Variation of the length of belt movement may be obtained by a crank such as shown in Figure 11, in which apertures 4|, 42, 43, and 44 are gradually lessened in radial distance from the center.

In view of my invention and disclosuravarlations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown and I therefore claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A vibrator having a loop of general U shape and means for relatively vibrating the loop ends lengthwise of the loop by whipping movement of one end of the loop and a pad within the loop limiting its contracting movement, the repeated whipping movements repeatedly compressing the material of the loop from the whipping end thereof and by such compressions repeatedly swelling the loop adjacent the pad.

2. A vibrator having a belt in the form of a generally U-shaped loop, having an end of the loop stiier than the body of the loop and having means for longitudinally vibrating the belt at the said end, thereby repeatedly longitudinally compressing the belt to repeatedly swell the loop at a continuously convex portion thereof against a surface to be massaged.

3. A vibrator having a belt in the form of a generally U-shaped loop and having an end of the loop stiffer than the body of the loop and tapering off in stiffness from the stiffer end toward the body of the loop.

4. A vibrator having a belt in the form of a generally U-shaped loop, having the belt thicker at an end than in the body of the loop to control the contour of the loop and means for longitudinallyl vibratng the loop at the said end thereby repeatedly longitudinally compressing the belt to repeatedly swell the loop at a continuously convex vportion thereof against a surface to be massaged.

5. A vibrator having a belt in the form of a generally U-shaped loop and having part of the belt impregnated to vary the stiffness of the belt and alter the contour of the loop when it is whipped.

6. The method of using a sheet of laterally flexible longitudinally stiff material intermediate spaced portions thereof and for massage purpose which consists in presenting the massage sheet in the form of a continuously convex bend of the laterally flexible longitudinally stiff material, and in relatively vibrating the said portions of the material to opposite ends of the massage sheet, using the longitudinal stiffness of the material to transmit longitudinal compression along the material and thereby to produce variation in the degree of the exing of the conveXly bent material.

7. The method of massaging, which consists in attaching one end of a loop of material for massage treatment xedly and in whipping the other end of the loop longitudinally of the material in the portion of the loop adjoining said other end to give lateral vibration of the material at the bend of the loop, alternately swelling and contracting the bend of the loop, each of the said.l swellings being effected by longitudinal compressive stresses in the loop material and from whipping movement.

8. The method of massaging, which consists in bending laterally flexible, longitudinally stiff material into a convex bend, in supporting the material at points along the bend of the material and in periodically moving the material longitudinally of itself back and forth while maintaining the bend convexity.

9. The method of massaging, which consists in bending laterally flexible, longitudinally stiff material into a convex bend, in supporting the material at points along the bend of the material and in periodically moving the material both laterally and longitudinally of itself back and forth while maintaining the bend convexity.

10. The method of massaging by means of a strip of flexible material which consists in bending the material into a loop, in securing one end of the material and in oscillating the other endof the material, maintaining the loop during the oscillation.

ll. The method of massaging by a laterally flexible material of relatively great length with respect to its thickness, which consists in bending the material into a loop which is not subject to complete inward collapse during use and in vibrating the material radially of the loop by imparting vibratory motion to the material at an end thereof.

l2. In a massage machine, a flexible massage belt having relatively loose and relatively taut positions and means acting lengthwise of the belt for producing a transverse flapping motion of the belt from the relatively loose to the relatively taut position and vice versa.

13. In a massage machine, a longitudinally stiff laterally flexible massage belt bent into the form of a loop and means for .imparting a flapping motion to the belt by longitudinal motion of a part of the belt.

14. In a massagemachine, a flexible massage belt bent into the form of a loop and having one relatively fixed end and one relatively movable end and means for producing longitudinal movement of the relatively movable end back and forth, thereby causing vibration of the belt.

15. In a massage machine, a flexible massage belt bent into the form of a loop, a relatively fixed support to which one end of the belt is secured, a crank arm to which the other end of the belt is connected, and means for driving the crank arm.

16. In a massage machine, a flexible massage belt bent so as to expose a convex portion for massage use, a padwithin the bent portion of the belt and adapted to prevent collapse of the belt, means for relatively xedly securing one end of the belt and means for moving the other end relatively back and forth to impart vibration to the belt.

ROBERT HETHERINGTON. 

